Pessary



NOV. 13, 1951 U S 2,574,767

' v PESSARY Filed April 14, 1950 I INVENTOR. GEOEGE 570555 Patented Nov. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v PE'SSARY I George stubbs, Los An C pplication April 14, 1950, Serial No. 1553870;

1 Glainn.

invention relates to improvements in: pessaries.

Devicesof this character have legitimate uses: for the correction of retro di'splacements of the and prolapsus of the uterus. They also maybeused readily forcorrectionof postpartum displacements:

A primary object of the invention to-provide arr improved pessary consisting essentially of a circular ring-like body which ca-rr be folded on single diameter and which-1 otherwise than on the mentioned diameter is relatively rigid. With such a construction the pessary may be inserted in a folded or collapsed condition and allowed to return after insertion into a subst'amtially flat or planar condition. When the bodyhas thusbeen returned to its normalcondition it may be rotated ninety degrees from its position during insertion so that the fold line or fold diameter on which the pessary is readily foldable is disposed in a transverse direction. In this position thepessary is relatively rigid or stiff when considered in a direction extending longitudina-l-ly of the vaginal cavity. When it isdesired to remove the pessary thepessary may be rotated ninety degrees so that itsfold line or fold diameter willbe disposed coincident withthe length of the vaginal cavity and the: pessarycarr then be folded and readily withdrawn.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pessary having the above mentioned characteristics wherein; the: inner" surface of the rubber covering of the pessary is2 notched. The notches are locatedwhere the. pessary may be readily folded and contribute to the ease with which the pessary can be folded at the desired points and' alsofunction as'indicators that can be readily felt to determine the position of the pessary and the location of its fold diameter.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved pessary and method of making the same whereby a pessary can be very easily and quickly constructed with a minimum amount of labor and material and which possesses the advantages that it may be sterilized.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claim, reference is had to the accompanying drawings -for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view, parts being broken away and shown in horizontal section of a pessary embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the same 2 taken substantially upon the line 2-2 upon E122. 11;:

-Eig..3is;:az perspective: View of-the? pessary shcwrr in; Fig. '1,v the pessary being; shown in its folded? or collapsedcondition;

Fig; ei-i'sa top plan view of an alternative form ofspe'ssary embodying the present inventiomparts being? broken; away and shown in horizontal section';

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially upon'theline 5-5 upon Fig. 4; and

Fig". 6;" is .a perspective view illustrating the pessary its folded or collapsed condition.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: wherem; similar reference characters" designate similar: parts. throughout, the pessary illustrated Figs; 1, 2 and 3' consists. of? two opposed approximately. semi-circular sections of solid metal" wire. These sections are indicated at l0 and |'l.' They are formed of a relatively stiff malleable metal, the intention being that the metal pos sess l'ittl'e ifany' resiliency so that if necessary thej wir-e can be bent forcibly to a desired shape and when so bent it willremain in the bent shape. The sections it and H have their ends disposed in opposition toeach other but are spaced from each; other" forming gaps l2 and I3. A single section'o'f rubber tubing is slipped onto these sections and the ends of the rubber tubing are brought together as indicated at 14', intermediate the ends of" one of the wiresections and are cemented or vulcanized" together. The internal diameter ofthe rubber tubing is normally smaller than the diameter of the wire used to form the Wire sections it and if so that in slipping the rubberonto the wire sections it is necessary to stretchthe rubber to a considerabie extent. When the rubber has been slipped onto the wire it will, of course, inherently tend to contract thereabouts and this feature is relied upon to frictionally hold the wire sections within the rubber against shifting or against displacement and thus maintain the gaps at I2 and IS. The inner side of the rubber, when it has been thus assembled with the wire sections, is buffed out or notched as indicated at l5 and [6. These notches are disposed opposite the gaps I2 and i3 between the ends of the wire sections. The notches perform two functions. One function is to reduce the thickness of the rubber opposite the gaps l2 and I3 rendering the rubber more readily bendable at the gaps and, in the course of folding the pressary into a position as shown in Fig. 3, the notches enable the rubber at the sides of the notches to be easily brought together without involving compression of the rubber if the notches I6 are not present. On folding the pessary, that rubber which would be on the inner sides of the gaps l2 and l 3 would be highly compressed and the rubber on the outer sides of the gaps I2 and I3 would be severely stretched or placed under tension. The presence of the notches avoids this compression on the inner sides of the ring and voids the high tension or stretching on the outer sides of the ring opposite the gaps l2 and I3.

The second function performed by the notches l5 and I6 is that of serving as an indicator as to the location of the gaps l2 and I3. These gaps, which are not occupied by stifi wire, locate the fold line or diameter on which the pessary can be readily folded or collapsed.

While the sizes are not critical, typical sizes employed are to use wire for the sections l and II formed of mild or malleable steel having a diameter of approximately inch. The rubber tubing employed has an outside diameter of approximately inch and, as above explained, the normal internal diameter should be slightly smaller than the diameter of the wire so that it is necessary to stretch the rubber slightly in slipping it onto the wire and the rubber will then contract on the wire sections and hold them against displacement which might close the gaps l2 and [3.

When the pessary is of circular form, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, it may be inserted in the folded or collapsed condition and then allowed to return to its normal or planar condition due to the resiliency of the rubber surrounding the gaps l2 and I3. In this position the pessary can then be rotated through ninety degrees from its position of insertion so that the fold line or fold diameter acros the gaps l2 and I3 is positioned transverse to the vaginal cavity. In this position the pessary is relatively stiff and rigid considered in a direction extending longitudinally of the vaginal cavity or across a diameter that is ninety degrees from the diameter across the gaps l2 and I 3. In removing the pessary it is again rotated either forwardly or reversely ninety degrees to position the fold line or fold diameter across the gaps coincident with the length of the vaginal cavity. This position can be determined readily by feeling for the location of the notches l5 or is whichever is disposed forwardmost.

In the construction shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the pessary is in the form of an ovate ring-like body likewise composed of two opposed or complementary wire sections and 2|. These sections are formed of solid malleable metal wire and have their opposed ends close to each other 4 but nevertheless in spaced relation so as to leave the gaps 22 and 23. The rubber covering 24 consists of rubber tubing, the internal diameter of which is slightl smaller than the diameter of the wire used to make the wire sections so that in applying the rubber covering it is necessary to slightly stretch the rubber. The rubber when in position will contract on the wire sections and frequently hold them against displacement. The ends of the rubber tubing are brought together as at 25 and are cemented or vulcanized. In this form of construction the pessary can be readily folded or collapsed upon a line connecting the gaps 22 and 23 but will normally return due to the resiliency of the rubber to its normal position as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In this form ofconstruction, while the interior surface of the rubber covering could be notched opposite the gaps 22 and 23 to facilitate the bending of the rubber, as above explained, the notches are not necessary to serve as indicators inasmuch as the shape of the pessary itself determines its position in the vaginal cavity. Consequently the notches are not shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6.

The improved pessaries are highly advantageous in that they may be easily constructed with a minimum amount of labor and material. Also they may be easily sterilized.

Various changes may be made in the details of the construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

A pessary comprising two complementary sections of solid malleable wire bent to the shape of opposed sides of the pessary, each section having its ends slightly spaced from but arranged in opposition to the ends of the other section, and a rubber tube having a normal internal diameter smaller than the diameters of the wire sections stretched over said sections and enclosing the same whereby the pessary may be folded between the ends of the sections by flexing that portion of the rubber tubing which bridges the gaps between the ends thereof and the sections will be held against shifting within the tubing by reason of the contracting engagement of the rubber upon the wire sections.

GEORGE s'ruBBs.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

